Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs return to the Yale Bowl this Saturday for their final home game of the season against the Princeton Tigers in the 148th meeting of the second-oldest rivalry in college football. Kickoff is set for noon, and the game will air on ESPN+.

Princeton enters with a 6-2 (4-1 Ivy) record, a No. 23 national ranking, and a share of first place with Harvard after being picked to finish in the bottom half of the league in the preseason. The Tigers dropped their opener at Bryant, ripped off four straight wins, were hammered 35-7 at Harvard, and have since survived Cornell 21-20 and Dartmouth 21-14 at home, with the latter making Bob Surace the winningest coach in program history. Yale has won four straight in this series, including last year’s 13-10 slugfest in New Jersey, but at 2-3 in the league the Elis are reduced to playing spoiler while clinging to the faintest of mathematical hopes. Expect a low-scoring, field-position battle against a team that has made a habit of winning ugly.

Princeton has rotated two young quarterbacks all season in freshman QB Wyatt Becker (6’2”, 200 lbs.) and sophomore QB Ty Ciongoli (6’0”, 190 lbs.). The freshman has completed 56.8% of his passes for 815 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while adding 148 yards on the ground, and the sophomore is the more accurate thrower at 61.3% for 763 yards and 5 touchdowns but has tossed 4 picks. Sophomore QB Eli Friend (6’1”, 200 lbs.) enters as a short-yardage option and has 2 rushing touchdowns on just 9 carries. Junior RB Kai Honda (5’10”, 210 lbs.) has been the breakout star with 554 yards (5.3 ypc) and 8 touchdowns, highlighted by an absurd 219 yards and 4 scores on 14 carries at Columbia, but he left the Cornell game early and has just 3 carries over the last two weeks. Senior RB Ethan Clark (6’1”, 210 lbs.) was a second-team All-Ivy selection in 2025 and returned last week after missing a month and a half, with 130 yards on 40 carries in his four appearances. Freshman RB Kaio Agudinho de Oliveira (5’11”, 205 lbs.) led the Tigers with 61 rushing yards against Dartmouth. Sophomore WR Josh Robinson (5’7”, 170 lbs.) was the 2025 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, an Honorable Mention All-Ivy pick, and a Phil Steele FCS second-team All-American, and he leads the team with 33 catches for 392 yards. Sophomore WR Josh Smith (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is the big-play threat at 18.5 yards per catch with 5 touchdowns, three of which came in the Cornell comeback. Senior WR Aidan Besselman (6’1”, 185 lbs.) has 17 grabs and 2 scores, while senior WR Jackson Green (6’3”, 200 lbs.) averages 17.1 yards per reception. Senior TE Joey Wassler (6’4”, 240 lbs.) is a captain who is used primarily as a blocker with 9 catches. The Tigers’ offensive line averages 297.0 lbs. across the board and is the strength of the unit, anchored by a pair of 2025 second-team All-Ivy guards in senior OL Barrett Eddlemon (6’3”, 285 lbs.) and senior OL Justin Selbert (6’5”, 320 lbs.) along with senior OL Oyintare Porbeni (6’7”, 300 lbs.), a captain who has had NFL scouts at practice. The line has allowed only 6 sacks all season while the team averages 3.9 yards per carry. Princeton has scored touchdowns on just 12 of 25 red-zone trips, so keeping them to field goals is vital, and they are aggressive on fourth down at 11 of 19. The Tigers have outscored opponents 45-9 in the first quarter but have been outscored 60-58 after halftime, so we cannot afford another slow start. Shutting down the run game is the first priority, as Cornell held Princeton to 14 rushing yards and the Tigers needed a comeback to escape. From there, our front has to put real pressure on two inexperienced signal callers who have combined for 6 interceptions, even against a line that rarely lets anyone get home. Defenders have to wrap up on first contact after the missed tackles that turned short catches into long scores against Brown, and we can’t allow a team to march down the field on penalties again.

Defense is what has carried the Tigers, as they have surrendered just 15.0 points per game and forced 13 turnovers. It is a bend-but-don’t-break outfit that gives up more yardage (363.8 per game) than its own offense gains (325.8) yet stiffens in the red zone, where opponents have reached the end zone on only 12 of 27 trips. Senior LB Chase Christopher (6’1”, 220 lbs.) was Honorable Mention All-Ivy in both 2024 and 2025 and leads the team with 80 tackles, including a career-high 16 last week. Junior LB Connor Cronin (6’3”, 200 lbs.) is second with 52 tackles to go with a sack and an interception. Junior LB Jake Moore (6’4”, 240 lbs.) has 5.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss, and junior LB AJ Pigford (6’3”, 255 lbs.) has 4.5 sacks and a team-high 8 tackles for loss after dropping the Dartmouth quarterback twice; the pair ranks among the top three sack artists in the league. Sophomore DL Nate Stohl (6’4”, 280 lbs.) is extremely active for an interior lineman with 43 tackles and a blocked kick. Sophomore LB Dylan Torrico (5’11”, 220 lbs.) has 42 tackles and a 70-yard fumble return. Senior DB Torian Roberts (5’11”, 185 lbs.) was second-team All-Ivy in 2025 and has 5 pass breakups and an interception, while fellow captain senior DB Evan Haynie (5’11”, 180 lbs.) was Honorable Mention All-Ivy last year. Senior DB Kavon Miller (5’10”, 180 lbs.) is third on the team with 44 tackles, and senior DB Kyler Ronquillo (5’9”, 185 lbs.) and junior DB Casey Etienne Jr. (6’1”, 185 lbs.) each have 2 interceptions. Princeton allows 68.3% completions and 242.4 passing yards per game but only 5 passing touchdowns all year, and opponents average just 3.4 yards per carry. Expect Princeton to blitz heavily after Brown destroyed us with pressure to the tune of 6 sacks, especially with two of the league’s top three sack leaders leading the charge. The answer is quick, short plays that get the ball out of Reno’s hands before the rush arrives. Getting HDK rolling early in the run game will make them pay for sending extra bodies, and the tight ends should have openings underneath with the linebackers rushing the passer. Once the blitz is slowed, we have to find deep opportunities for Santiago and Anderson against a secondary left on an island. Yardage has been there all season, but the Elis must finally turn long drives into touchdowns and stop trading sevens for threes.

Senior P Brady Clark (6’2”, 200 lbs.) is a top punter in the league as a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection in 2025, Honorable Mention All-Ivy in 2023 and 2024, an FCS Punter of the Year semifinalist, and the reigning Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week. He averages 45.3 yards per punt with a long of 66 and 12 punts inside the 20, and opponents have totaled minus-2 punt return yards on the year. Senior K Esteban Nunez Perez (6’1”, 185 lbs.) is 4 of 7 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 and has not connected from beyond 40 yards, though he is a perfect 20-for-20 on extra points. Sophomore K Vaughn Lennon (6’2”, 180 lbs.) handles kickoffs with 15 touchbacks on 34 attempts. Junior RB Kenny Jordan (6’0”, 170 lbs.), a Phil Steele third-team All-Ivy pick in 2024, averages 19.0 yards per kickoff return, and sophomore WR Josh Robinson (5’7”, 170 lbs.) handles punt returns at 8.0 yards per return. Piper gives us a clear edge in the kicking game, and in a contest that figures to come down to a possession, that advantage has to show up on the scoreboard.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Tigers!

The Bulldogs fell to 4-4 (2-3 Ivy) after a backbreaking loss to the Brown Bears at home in a 24-20 contest.

Yale mathematically still holds a chance to share the Ivy crown, although it would require an improbable run for Penn to sweep Harvard and Princeton in the next two weeks as well as losses by Brown and Dartmouth along the way. At this point, we’d welcome a 5- or 6-way split, though playoff chances at that point remain grim.

The offensive line’s struggles were very surprising as the Elis surrendered 6 sacks and seemed flustered by any blitz or stunt. HDK ran hard, and run blocking was still decent as he racked up 124 yards for 4.4 yards per carry, but the holding penalty that brought back a rushing touchdown proved to be one of the critical failures in the contest. Reno completed 25 of 39 attempts for 184 yards and a touchdown, although the lack of Anderson limited options. The Bulldogs controlled the clock for over 35 minutes, yet have not learned the painful reality that a team must score points while burning the time. Playcalling was unimaginative, leading to far too many difficult third-down scenarios, in which the Bulldogs converted on just 12 of 23 attempts. There has been limited offensive cohesion all season, as we began as a passing juggernaut, developed a solid rushing attack as the passing game efficiency disappeared, and at this point, we are an above-average rushing team and a below-average passing team that cannot find the end zone. A single touchdown score on 87 offensive plays will not win many football games. Santiago led in receiving with 8 catches for 64 yards and a score, although Reno nearly threw an interception in the second quarter on a short outside pass when Santiago was wide open deep. Wagner, Jones, Kemp, Collyer, Smith, and Tattersall all hauled in passes when targeted. An offensive pass interference call on Jones wiped away another Yale touchdown as Yale traded two touchdowns for two field goals. With the season on the line on a fourth-and-two play, the powers that be decided that a read-option was fitting for the moment and Brown easily snuffed out the play.

The Bulldogs came out ready to play on defense with a dominant first series, but by the conclusion of Brown’s second series, which resulted in a touchdown, it was clear that Brown had identified key vulnerabilities. Cornerback play across the board was an embarrassment in this contest. On the second Brown drive, Barkley-Smith gave up a first-down reception and then was mixed up in coverage with Daniyan, which led to a score. White missed a tackle after a reception, and Eastep couldn’t wrap up the receiver either as Brown went the distance on a catch and run. Webster had a complete meltdown on a series, racking up penalties that allowed Brown to march down the field, and then surrendered a touchdown pass. The running game was largely kept in check with just 53 yards on 27 attempts, but it was the penalties and big plays that doomed Yale. Brown averaged 9.8 yards per passing attempt and 12.4 yards per completion on their way to 3 passing touchdowns. Daniyan and Grant tied with 8 tackles apiece, though Grant missed 2-3 tackles. Eastep had one of the top defensive plays of the season with his pick-six to put the Bulldogs up 14-7, though on the next series, the previously mentioned missed tackles by White and Eastep allowed Brown to even the score immediately. Tate racked up 4 tackles from his defensive tackle spot, while Jackson-Bass and Coleman both notched a sack. Freshman Atticus Snow saw playing time at defensive end with one tackle. Kamara blew up a screen and made a few other solid plays but has not had the game-changing impact of prior seasons. The Bulldogs could have potentially had as much as 30 seconds left if they could have slowed down Brown’s final drive, but Childs easily burst through for a first down to burn the clock out.

The performance of the special teams units was a highlight as Daniyan blocked a punt, Piper nailed two field goals from 41 and 44 yards, and Keeney averaged 42.5 yards per punt. Generating a blocked punt and a pick-six while holding an opponent to 2 of 10 on third-down attempts should never result in a loss. This coaching staff has mastered the formula for losing in an improbable fashion.

The Bulldogs host the Brown Bears this Saturday at the Yale Bowl in a battle of 2-2 Ivy foes. Kickoff is set for noon, and the game will air on ESPN+.

The Bears enter with a 4-3 (2-2 Ivy) record and nearly knocked off Harvard early in the season in a four-point loss. Last week, Brown destroyed Penn 36-17 and is in the exact same position in the Ivy title race as the Bulldogs. Expect a very tough challenge in this matchup, as the loser will be knocked out of Ivy contention.

Senior QB James Murphy (6’5”, 230 lbs.) leads the Bears’ offense and has completed 62.7% of his passes for 4 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the year. Murphy is averaging a solid 256.0 passing yards per game but has had a tendency to force balls to his playmakers this season. Junior RB Matt Childs (6’0”, 200 lbs.) was a second-team All-Ivy performer in 2025 and is a very dangerous runner and receiver with great speed, balance, and hands. Childs has racked up 426 rushing yards (4.0 ypc) with 7 touchdowns and 447 receiving yards in an extraordinary season thus far. Sophomore RB Elijah Jones (5’11”, 205 lbs.) and senior RB Qwentin Brown (6’0”, 215 lbs.) are both solid power relief options for Childs. Junior WR Pearson Hill (5’8”, 185 lbs.) is the second-leading receiver with 252 receiving yards on 18 grabs. Junior TE Jadon Garza-Pender (6’4”, 245 lbs.) and senior TE Levi Linowes (6’3”, 230 lbs.) are both very talented ends who have combined for 38 catches and can stretch opposing coverages. The Bears’ offensive line averages 293.0 lbs. across the board and has allowed 22 sacks while averaging just 2.9 yards per carry as a team. The Bears have only scored touchdowns on 13 of 27 red-zone trips, so keeping them to field goals this week is vital. They are aggressive and successful on fourth downs, going 9 of 14, and have the potential to win in clutch moments as seen in their Cornell overtime victory. Our linebackers will have their hands full with Childs in the passing game this week, and we can’t expect them to operate on an island against him without safety help. Penetrating the offensive line to slow down Childs on the ground and disrupt Murphy’s progressions in the pocket will be vital. Secondary play for the Bulldogs has to maintain the momentum from last week by limiting big plays, arm tackles, and mental errors.

The improvement on defense for Brown has been the true differentiator for the Bears this season; aside from the Cornell contest, no squad has scored more than 17 points on them. Senior LB Max Malo (6’2”, 225 lbs.) leads the Bears’ defense with an impressive 86 tackles and an interception. Senior LB Stefano Montella (6’0”, 225 lbs.) has been the second defensive centerpiece for Brown with 69 tackles and a whopping 8 tackles for loss. Senior DB Camryn Williams-Dalton (6’0”, 190 lbs.) has been a ball hawk with 4 interceptions and 8 pass breakups. Junior DB Alejandro Bello (5’11”, 180 lbs.) has been solid with 32 tackles and a fumble recovery. Junior DL Liam Fitzgerald (6’2”, 290 lbs.) has been difficult for opponents to block with his size and quickness, racking up 24 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Senior DL Ike Odimegwu (6’3”, 240 lbs.) was a second-team All-Ivy selection in 2025 and has posted 4.5 sacks on the season. Junior DE Jack Middleton (6’3”, 245 lbs.) is yet another tough, veteran member of the front seven after an Honorable Mention All-Ivy performance last year. It’s a very stingy defense from top to bottom, and they have only surrendered 16.3 points per game. Our offensive line has to get its hands on the dynamic senior linebackers to spring the running backs this week. Brown has not faced a team with as many true receiving weapons as Yale, so we must test them all across their secondary. With teams now forced to respect HDK heavily in the running game, there should be more opportunities to spring Santiago loose down the stretch. The Bears have thrived in tight, back-and-forth games, so limiting turnovers is again paramount in this game.

Sophomore K Drew Crabtree (6’0”, 160 lbs.) is a perfect 8-for-8 on field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards. Junior P Malcolm Flynn (6’0”, 190 lbs.) averages a decent 39.6 yards per punt with two punts over 50 yards. Senior WR Najih Rahman (5’11”, 200 lbs.) is a dangerous punt returner averaging 14.3 yards per return, while Childs has the capability to take a kickoff back for a touchdown if tackling breaks down.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!

The Bulldogs improved to 4-3 (2-2 Ivy) on the season after a 26-8 victory over the Columbia Lions in New York City.

The Bulldogs needed to limit turnovers in this contest and did just that. HDK had a huge game with 155 yards and a touchdown as the Bulldogs controlled the clock for over 33 minutes. Reno threw no interceptions, was not sacked, and completed passes when needed, but 14 completions on 31 attempts is still well below his capabilities. He missed a few big-play opportunities with HDK open downfield, although his decision-making was vastly superior to a week ago. Anderson had another big performance with 5 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Santiago was heavily guarded, allowing players like Smith, Jones, and Wagner to exploit holes at times. Smith hauled in one of Reno’s two passing touchdowns of the day as he broke a tackle on a short route and outraced defenders. Anderson’s touchdown was equally impressive as he stiff-armed a defender en route to pay dirt. You have to be pleased with how the offensive line has come together in the run-blocking department this season, and Lewis was again seen blowing opponents five yards off the ball occasionally. Third down is still an area of concern where the Bulldogs succeeded on just 6 of 18 attempts. The Elis have to find ways to spark more second-half explosiveness down the stretch.

Columbia was held to just 34 rushing yards on the afternoon and was forced to become one-dimensional. The secondary rallied from the lows of last week to put on a stellar showing. Webster was targeted heavily and responded with an unbelievable six pass deflections and nine tackles. There was tight coverage from Eastep throughout, and he racked up seven tackles. There were a few hiccups in coverage for Daniyan, but he kept everything in front of him to limit big plays and led in solo tackles with seven. Banks had an interception, and Barkley-Smith was solid in coverage as well. Kamara made plays all over the field. There were crucial performances from Grant and Schutzman at linebacker to keep gaps plugged. Jackson-Bass and Coleman applied solid pressure from the edges, with Jackson-Bass posting two sacks on the afternoon. Hutton will need to stop jumping the count, as he was cited for two offside infractions. There was a good interior rush from Fadeyibi, Tate, and Austin that was highly disruptive. Columbia did have a number of drops and special teams errors that helped out, but the coaches and players responded in a huge way to keep the team’s conference hopes alive.

Piper nailed a 46-yard field goal and missed a difficult 50-yarder in the first quarter. Keeney had a decent outing with 36.7 yards per punt, and there were no snapping issues. It was Columbia that faltered on special teams this week, notably with a kick return that wound up at the 2-yard line before a safety. Yale won every phase of the game and now needs to close out the season with three more wins while hoping for the Big Green to stumble.

The Bulldogs head to the Big Apple to square off against the Columbia Lions this Saturday for a Halloween showdown. Kickoff is slated for noon, and the game will air on ESPN+.

Columbia enters the contest with a 4-2 (1-2 Ivy) record, with blowout losses to Princeton and Dartmouth but a nail-biting win over Penn after the infamous kicking fiasco. This contest seems like it could follow a similar path to that Quaker game with a single play deciding the victor.

Columbia senior QB Chase Goodwin (6’2”, 223 lbs.) seems like he’s been around for an eternity and has completed 56.3% of his passes for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s developed into a dangerous passer but can struggle with accuracy and is not the most mobile out there. Senior RB Griffin Johnson (5’11”, 200 lbs.) has been stellar with 559 yards (4.7 YPC) and 3 touchdowns. Freshman WR Bryce Coleman (6’4”, 190 lbs.) has taken the league by storm with 529 receiving yards and a whopping 9 touchdowns as he appears a lock to win Ivy League Freshman of the Year. Goodwin can simply lob up deep balls to Coleman, who easily boxes out small corners with his frame. Junior WR Hutch Crow (6’1”, 192 lbs.) has been very effective with 35 catches for 442 yards as teams heavily tilt coverages towards Coleman. Senior TE Braden Dougherty (6’5”, 246 lbs.) is targeted frequently in the passing game with 15 grabs and was an Ivy League Honorable Mention selection two years ago. Columbia’s offensive line is lighter than most at 292.0 lbs. across the board and returns just one starter from a year ago. Fourteen sacks have been surrendered with 3.6 yards per carry on average. Columbia will be salivating at the thought of Coleman running freely through the secondary, so we can’t just throw a single corner or safety his way as we’ve seen how that played out versus Rhode Island. The Elis need solid play up front to limit Johnson from moving the chains. Columbia typically wins the time of possession battle (32:14 average) and has the top passing offense in terms of yardage in the conference, so it’s a well-rounded unit that’s another tough matchup for our defense, which is still finding its way.

The Lions’ defense is led by senior LB AJ George (6’1”, 220 lbs.), who has been making plays all over the field with 42 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Sophomore LB Drew Burmeister (6’2”, 223 lbs.) returns after he posted 8 tackles versus Yale a year ago. Junior DL Keller Patterson (6’1”, 290 lbs.) is very strong at the point of attack and has blown up opponents on his way to 24 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks. Sophomore DL Julius Patton (6’4”, 260 lbs.) is another force at the line of scrimmage with 17 tackles and a sack. Junior DB Jeremiah Douglas (6’2”, 192 lbs.) has played well this season with 31 tackles and a sack. Sophomore DB Md Awe (6’0”, 180 lbs.) has a crazy 9 pass breakups and an interception as a ballhawk in the secondary. Junior DB Carter McCray (6’0”, 178 lbs.) is a returning starter with 20 tackles and a pick through six games. Columbia’s defense has allowed 4.9 YPC, 7.5 yards per passing attempt, and is ranked last in scoring defense in the Ivy League. Yale has to find a way to limit the turnovers and put points on the board. When you see HDK as the top rusher in league statistics along with Santiago and Anderson as 1 and 2 in receiving, Yale should not be 1-2 in league play, but all the yardage has not translated to enough touchdowns. The Elis cannot force balls to Santiago or Anderson as teams will really cling onto the strategy of building the coverage around these two threats at the expense of a softer run defense. FCS referees can never be relied upon, especially not in the modern sports gambling era.

Senior K Hugo Merry (6’3”, 186 lbs.) is a perfect 5 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards. Junior P Tommy Sleeman (6’2”, 231 lbs.) averages 41.2 yards per punt and has pinned opponents inside the red zone on 8 occasions.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Lions!

The Bulldogs fell to the Penn Quakers in a 24-21 loss in Philadelphia as the Elis dropped to 3-3 with slim hopes of capturing an Ivy title.

The offensive game plan initially showed promise with Anderson taking two short catches to the end zone and HDK ripping off a big rushing touchdown, but a lack of halftime adjustments and zero offensive points in the second half destroyed any hopes of a victory. Reno was off the mark once again in the passing game, completing just 61.8% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Without Anderson taking short catches for long distances, Reno’s stats would have looked far worse. One interception was simply given to Penn on a silver platter as Reno assumed there was an offsides penalty, while the other interceptions were terrible decisions to throw to Santiago in double or triple coverage. Given all that Reno has been through in the last few weeks, it’s understandable to observe this rapid mental collapse, but it’s now left the Elis with their backs against the wall and no viable option at signal caller. Run blocking was not as consistent as last week’s, yet it still allowed HDK to run for 107 yards (5.4 ypc) and a touchdown. Reno was sacked on one occasion, although he did not even attempt to scramble and just collapsed to the floor at the sight of pressure. Anderson, Santiago and Jones all played well despite the passing limitations. Smith and Wagner each hauled in one catch, but Wagner’s attitude issues led to two incidents, one of which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Grant has been the heart and soul of the defense for much of the season, but his costly errors combined with the leaky secondary limited Yale’s defensive capabilities. Grant was run over on third-and-goal by a freshman quarterback, which gave Penn additional yardage and the confidence to punch it in on fourth-and-goal. On Penn’s second touchdown, Grant simply blew the coverage on a tight end who streaked past him for a score. On Penn’s final score, Grant had been ejected a play earlier for targeting, and Penn easily rushed for a long touchdown with sophomore LB Lucas Price forced into action. Coverage and tackling from Daniyan and Eastep were atrocious, while Webster and Barkley-Smith also had targets simply race past them. Coaches Murphy, Rice and McGowan all deserve to be on the hot seat for the disastrous play from the secondary and linebackers. Schutzman had the best contest of his career with 7 tackles and a sack, but the struggles from Grant, Partin and Price overshadowed his efforts. Tackling was poor across the board, and trying to tackle a big running quarterback with a banged-up knee high just lacks common sense (cue the Cole Champion reel of legally destroying knees). Defensive line play was just average, as Penn racked up 3.9 yards per carry and passing pressure was inconsistent.

Despite how poorly the Bulldogs played offensively and defensively, Yale still would have had a chance to win the contest if not for poor special teams play. A bad snap on a punt allowed Penn to take over near the 20-yard line and easily march in for a score. Maltarich was ineffective as a kick returner, and the return team was also cited for holding. Yale had a chance to even the score at 24-24 in the waning seconds, but a delay of game on a successful field goal pushed them back five yards, and the ensuing kick fell yards short of a tie game.

Anyone with any institutional knowledge at the athletics office should have turned this game down based on the high number of tragic games we’ve played on Friday nights, but it was likely agreed to by a Chun disciple from Colgate whose only motivation is brownnosing the inept AD. We appear to be entering a very dark period of Yale football history if drastic measures aren’t taken immediately.